Caught in a Bond
by sigebertbert
Summary: A deep dive into the Eric/Sookie dynamic.  A different direction for the end of season 3. Slightly angsty romance. M for tart lemons.
1. Chapter 1

**Caught in a Bond**

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A deep dive into the Eric/Sookie dynamic. Slightly angsty romance. Set in late season 3 (just after episode 34), this story is based on one snippet: Eric and Sookie kiss for the first time, and then he chains her in the basement. Read on for an alternate approach to what happens next, a direction that Alan Ball is very unlikely to go anytime soon… if ever.

PLEASE note that I've only seen some short clips from season 3, not entire episodes. The clips just serve as a jumping-off point for me; I've diverged pretty significantly from some of the show's recent plot points, so please don't get offended or confused by that. Spoiler alert in case you don't want to know anything about season 3.

I'm also a big fan of the SVM books, and I chose to write from Sookie's POV only, as the books do. These are great characters, especially Sookie, Eric, and Pam, and I've tried to stay true to their voices. This story is much closer to the show's version of Sookie's universe than the books' version. Sadly, I don't own 'em, and no copyright infringement is intended.

Rated M for tart lemons in some chapters.

Finally, this is my first fanfic in years, so feedback is very welcome. Pease let me know what you think!

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**Chapter 1**

"Eric!"

I shrieked his name again, and heard the basement door slam shut, then the grating of a lock thrown. He'd barely spared a glance for me as he'd tossed me on the floor down here, chained me up, and departed. The shock of it, of the whole evening really, started to sink in. I tested the chain, and the heavy metal collar that was already hurting my neck. The chain was bolted to the floor, to a metal loop in the dirty concrete floor, near a massive pillar. It was too short to allow me to stand.

With an awful rush, I realized this might be exactly where I'd found Lafayette wounded and broken after more than two weeks of abuse. Would Eric leave me here that long? Longer? What if he never came back, as he was clearly so worried about?

With hope, I thought of Bill. We'd been through some very bumpy times recently, and if I had a dollar for every vamp who told me not to trust him I'd be able to get new tires for my old car, but somehow I knew that Bill would save me if he could. Even if he had mixed feelings about it. But where was he? I was 65 miles from Bon Temps – could he even hear me? Would he sense that I was in trouble, and not just in a bad mood? I said a quick prayer that he was on his way.

But Pam, she was right here, upstairs. Pam would let me go… maybe not right away, but Pam (probably) wouldn't let me rot away if Eric never returned. So I yelled myself hoarse for Pam, and was hugely relieved when the basement door suddenly opened and a pair of shiny high-heeled boots came into view on the stairs. She came down the first several steps and peered at me over the handrail.

"I can't let you go." There was no empathy or regret in her voice, but I hadn't really expected any.

"Pam, wait! Where did Eric go? When's he coming back?" She was my lifeline to the world now, so to speak, and I had so many questions.

"Oh, he's got a _plan_," she drawled with thick sarcasm. "A crappy plan, but what do I know?" She sounded miffed. She turned to leave.

"Pam, I have to pee." This earned me a dramatic, put-upon sigh. Vampires often forget about basic human needs.

"Hold on."

She returned a few minutes later and stomped down the stairs with a 5-gallon bucket and a roll of toilet paper. Lovely. She set them down just within my reach, and looked around the gloomy space. A weak light bulb set half-way down the stairs was the only light; vampires wouldn't even need that to see clearly.

"I was hoping that he'd put you in that sex sling… thing… that he has down here," she purred, and in the dim light I could barely see her fangy smile. This was Pam's way of cheering me up.

"Just chains for me," I said, and this reminded me all over again of the indignity of my predicament. I was furious and frightened, but the feel of Eric's earlier kisses still buzzed through my head. It's an understatement to say that he messes with me. I started to sob.

"Oh, God," Pam huffed coldly. "Stop."

"Why? Why did he lock me up?" The tears weren't stopping, and I let my misery roll through me. "I didn't do anything! How can he… kiss me… and then just leave me here, like this? How?"

"He shouldn't have kissed you," Pam said flatly, "but I think he's… trying to protect you."

"From what?" I sniffled and wiped the tears from my face.

"From _who_. Russell, of course. That fucking freak."

From upstairs, the thumpa-thumpa-thumpa sound of music started. Pam glanced at the stairs.

"I have to go… duty calls. I'll send Ginger down with some food later."

"Wait!" I called, but she'd moved with vampire speed, and the door slammed shut again.

I had little sense of how long I'd sat on the cold floor. My cheap Timex watch was on my nightstand at home, where it did me no good at all. I gave up trying to identify songs playing upstairs – they all just sounded like pounding base. I was also about to give up on Bill. Where the hell was he? Surely hours had passed, by now? I stewed.

Much later, Ginger arrived. Music blasted through the open door, then subsided as she shut it. "Sookie?" she called softly.

"I'm still here," I said dully. By now I was full of quiet fury and despair. I could smell my pee in the bucket five feet away, which was just gross. I was also surprisingly hungry, so I was more glad to see Ginger than I'd ever been. She came down the stairs in her gawky way, like a spider might attack her at any moment, which wasn't an unreasonable fear. A paper bag crinkled as she held it out to me. She had a huge smile on her face, so I knew she'd been glamoured. Again.

"Here you go, hon," she said happily. "I hope you like it."

I took the bag and opened it. There was a bottle of soda, and some kind of sandwich in paper.

"Thanks, Ginger," I sighed.

"No problem at all," she said, just as friendly as could be. She was still smiling like she was waiting for a big tip. "It's real busy upstairs. I gotta go."

"OK," I said. "Thanks again." She skittered away, and the door locked.

I slept leaning against the pillar, but it was fleeting, restless and uncomfortable. When the basement door flew open and hit the wall, I gasped and sat up immediately, my heart racing. Eric rushed down the steps, and he knelt down in front of me. I couldn't see his face, but I felt his hand brush my jaw, a thumb over my lower lip. His other hand was jammed into a pocket, fumbling with something.

"Goddamn it, Eric, what the –" I may have tried to kick him.

"Sookie, shh. We don't have much time." His tone was low and urgent, and he ignored my anger.

"Unlock me right now" I hissed at him.

"I'm _trying_."

"You have bugs down here," I said furiously. "It's disgusting."

The padlock at my neck clicked open – a beautiful sound – and I jumped to my feet. And fell right back down. After so many hours of sitting, my legs protested any other posture. Eric scooped me up and ran up the stairs. The club was silent and mostly dark. I caught a glimpse of Pam in the hall, looking pale and tense. And then we were in Eric's office.

He sat on the big leather sofa, and arranged me on his lap, holding my shoulders with his arm, my legs stretched out. It felt blissful to be out of the basement. My earlier plan to berate and shame him into an elaborate apology faded when I saw his eyes. They were frighteningly dark, a little wild. His whole body radiated tension, and his hold on me was starting to get painful.

"What is it? What's going on?" I asked quickly. I'd settle for some kind of reason, some explanation. He could apologize later.

Pam entered, and then closed the office door and leaned against it. He flicked his eyes to her, some silent communication. She had two sharp wooden stakes in her hand.

He looked back to me, and his iron grip on my arm relaxed fractionally.

"Sookie, I provoked the king. He's on his way here at this moment."

"Russell?" The thought of Russell heading anywhere near me turned my stomach into a tight knot. Our first (and only) meeting had chilled me.

Eric nodded. "The sun rises in just over an hour. If we stay alive until then, I can kill Russell Edgington at dawn."

When you spend a lot of time with vampires, these sorts of sword-rattling statements begin to seem almost normal. But I was getting more frightened, not less, and questions swirled in my head.

"Just give him what he wants," Pam said sharply. Eric shouted something at her in a language that sounded like it was all consonants. She glared at the ceiling, but stayed quiet.

I knew that something bad was coming, maybe as bad as Russell's imminent arrival.

"Sookie, I'll need your blood. A lot of it."

It wasn't a request; he wasn't asking for permission.

"You're hurt…" I breathed.

"No. Your blood will let me survive the sun. As it did for Bill."

The shock must have shown on my face, because Eric's brows lifted. "Bill didn't tell you?" he asked quietly.

"I'm gonna start a list of the things Bill hasn't told me," I said bitterly. So my enticing part-Fairy blood also allowed a vampire to withstand the sun's rays. My heart started pounding. Any vampire who learned of this would want to own me. I would never be safe.

"Does Russell know about my blood?" I asked, urgently.

Eric nodded once. "Bill told him." One more for the list.

"Is that why Russell wants me? Why he's coming here?" Suddenly Eric seemed very noble, fighting like this to protect me. Or, fighting like this to possess me? And I wanted to know what had happened to Bill. If Eric hadn't killed Bill already, I wanted a shot at him myself.

Eric hesitated just a moment. "No. Russell and I have a larger, older score to settle. But I _certainly_ don't want him to get his fangs on you."

"Two birds, one stone," Pam said, a little too brightly.

"Leave us, Pam," Eric murmured, his eyes not leaving mine. Without further comment, she did, though she slammed the door hard.

"Do you trust me?" He asked softly, and I closed my eyes and nodded. I actually did – mostly, and for no firm reasons that came immediately to mind - but really, what choice did I have?

His lips touched mine softly. It was like a ghost of our earlier kiss. He shifted us both a bit, my head now resting on the arm of the sofa. One of his hands gently held my jaw and tilted my head, just so, for an angle that was to his liking. I met his eyes briefly – his were determined, mine were getting teary – and then he bit.

I whimpered at the initial stab of pain, and then he started to drink and a bolt of arousal swept down my spine, spidered across my ass, and landed sharply between my legs. I gasped and my body writhed. I could hear Eric swallowing the first mouthfuls of my blood, wet sounds, the pressure of his bite both painful and sinfully good. I felt, more than heard, a purring from his chest.

This was unlike any love nip from Bill. My hips lifted and fell. Without pausing from his work at my neck, Eric's grip on my jaw tightened, and he threw one of his legs over mine, to keep me still. But his other hand wound through my hair, and his fingers slowly combed through my locks again and again, trying to soothe me.

I found I couldn't speak. My whole body was buzzing with sensation. I kept my eyes closed. Against my hip, I could feel Eric's erection, but he was all business now. I felt the intensity and focus in his body; he wasn't frenzied. He wouldn't drain me accidentally. After a time, I started to feel… _sparkling_, would be the only way to describe it. I saw pretty little bursts of light behind my eyelids. Eric was still drinking. I began to feel chilled. I shivered, and felt Eric squeeze my shoulder.

And then I felt nothing.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

I awoke in a big bed, tucked in up to my chin under a down duvet and soft sheets. A lamp on the nightstand was on, dimly. A little silver clock next to the lamp told me that it was half past four. Pale blue silk curtains covered the windows, but some light seeped through. So, 4:30 in the afternoon, then. The events of last night rushed back in my mind: the dark basement, Russell, Eric's bite… Panic hit me when I realized that I didn't know if Eric had survived, or Russell, or neither of them. And I had no idea where I was, which seemed to happen to me more and more often.

Anxiously, I took stock. I was wearing the same underwear as yesterday. There was no sign of my clothes, but a long pink silk robe (with matching feathery trim, yikes) was draped across the foot of the bed. I moved my arms and legs a little and felt no injury or even stiffness. I discovered one small bandage on my inner elbow. It covered a barely-there puncture, from a needle, not a fang, and I frowned.

I couldn't hear any sounds except the quiet tick of the clock. I smelled sour, rank. A desperate need to pee got me out of bed, hurrying across thick wool carpeting to an adjoining bathroom.

I used the facilities with a sigh of relief, and eyed the walk-in shower with longing. It would have to wait. Two bottles of water were near the sink, with a crystal tumbler. I didn't bother with the glass, but drank half a bottle quickly, and felt a little less parched. Back in the bedroom, I spied a phone on a little desk and next to it, a note on a sheet of heavy paper.

"Sookie," it read,

"If you wake before dark, ask Bobby for anything you need. Dial him at star-2.

E."

My body relaxed considerably. Eric was alive, and well enough to write a note. I wondered if he lived here, or if this was some kind of safe house like I'd read about in paperback thrillers. The bedroom felt impersonal, though tasteful, and expensively furnished. A peek outside the bedroom door gave me a view of a dark, wide hall, with nearby stairs going down into semi-darkness.

I cautiously opened one of the curtains a few inches, and viewed a lush lawn in warm, dappled afternoon light. Pretty shrubs edged the lawn with a tall stone fence behind them, and trees beyond that. The fall leaves were just starting to turn. It was the picture of peacefulness.

Reassured that my life wasn't in immediate danger, I went directly back to the bathroom and turned on the shower. It was well-stocked with soaps and shampoos. In the top drawer of the vanity, I found a half-dozen new toothbrushes, a choice of toothpastes, a wooden comb, and a few pink plastic razors. The second drawer revealed many little boxes of Chanel cosmetics, all unopened. Pam, I mused. She must have had fun at the department store.

A stack of towels sat on the edge of the bathtub, with a fancy little shopping bag on the floor nearby. Poking aside the pink tissue paper in the bag, I discovered a black lace camisole and matching panties, some kind of boy-short/thong hybrid. I'd never worn black underwear or anything this sheer, but it would have to do.

The shower felt fantastic, but I cleaned up as quickly as I could and dried off. Standing in my new underwear, I looked in the mirror above the sink. Eric's bite mark at my neck was very faint, just two pale pink dots and the slightest blush of a blue bruise. I brushed my teeth and got the tangles out of my wet hair. It could dry on its own, since I wasn't about to fuss with a hair dryer now.

Back in the bedroom, the closet and dresser turned out to be empty, so I reluctantly put on the robe, tied it firmly around my waist, and caught my reflection in a tall mirror. I looked like a frothy pink bird, with the robe's enormous, lavish feather trim at the collar and cuffs. If I had to defend myself against an attacker, my only hope would be that they'd keel over laughing at the sight of me.

My stomach growled, and I realized that I needed food. I debated searching for a kitchen, but I remembered Eric's note, and picked up the phone instead.

"Miss Stackhouse?" Bobby Burnham answered on the first ring.

"Bobby? Hi, yes, it's Sookie," I said quickly. "Ah, I hate to bother to you, but I was getting sort of hungry… and was wondering if there's any food here?" (Wherever the hell I am, I thought.)

"I'll bring somethin' up." The phone clicked; he'd hung up. I'd never met Bobby, but I knew from Bill that he was Eric's day guy, the one who ran daytime errands like picking up dry cleaning. He also handled security while Eric slept. Bobby hadn't sounded especially friendly, but if Eric trusted him with his life, I could probably trust Bobby to bring me a sandwich.

Twenty minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Bobby stood there with a tray. He was almost as tall as Eric, and bulky in the way that former football players can get when they stop doing all that running but keep eating. His brown hair was shorn with a buzz cut. I ushered him in, and gave his mind a little scan as he put the tray down on the desk.

… _like drag queen Big Bird… fucking ridiculous… don't laugh don't laugh_

I gave Bobby my sweetest smile. "Thanks for the food, Bobby." He was making a bee line for the door, avoiding eye contact.

"Sure thing," he said quickly.

"Is everything okay, with Eric and… everything…?" I asked, just as he was about to get the door closed.

Bobby looked at me like I was especially dim (I'm used to that) and cleared his throat. His mind was full of fear of Eric.

"You'd best talk with Eric about all that," Bobby said cautiously. He gave me a little nod and hurried off.

I sighed, and sat down to eat. My dinner of roasted chicken, some greens, and buttery little potatoes was surprisingly delicious. Bobby had also brought me a glass of white wine, but I let myself drink only half of it. I had a feeling that I'd still need my wits about me tonight.

It was almost six o'clock, and still light out. The warm shower and the wine had soothed me, and the soft bed beckoned. I dozed, but must have slept harder than I thought, because when I woke the tray was gone and another note with the now-familiar big scrawl was on the bed:

"Sookie,

I am downstairs.

E."

I wanted to see him, and yet, I hesitated. Eric always brought me more trouble, and he often scared me, but I felt drawn to him. It was maddening. I tried to imagine what Gran would say. I think she'd be just as flummoxed as I was, but I was sure she'd tell me to face the problem straight on. I knew I agreed with her.

I got up and combed my hair again. I did give in to the frivolity of the lipsticks, and found a nice pale shade in the second box I opened. The first one I'd opened was a color of red-magenta that I could imagine only Pam wearing.

Then I tied the robe a little tighter, and went to him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

I found Eric in a library on the ground floor, sprawled on an oversized sofa. He was shirtless, and wore a pair of old jeans. One bare foot was propped on a big leather ottoman that served as a table. He'd been staring into the fireplace, where a pile of wood burned and crackled (and cast him in a wonderful light), but he looked up as soon as I entered.

"Sookie, are you well?" His eyes were studying me intently, and he appeared unharmed. Thankfully, he didn't laugh at my robe. He didn't even look amused.

I moved towards a chair opposite the couch, but he gave me a little look of annoyance and patted the cushion next to him.

"I'm just fine, I think." I was still a little surprised at how good I felt. I actually felt better than before my stint in the Fangtasia basement. I settled in next to him, keeping a polite distance, and tucked my feet under me. One pink feather escaped the robe and floated past my face.

"You've had blood from Pam and Chow. A transfusion, since you were in a coma."

My heart sank. This was my second coma in a year, and that couldn't be a good thing. "For how long? What day is it?" I asked. His face went hard and he looked at me with somber eyes.

"Three days." I heard the full weight of his worry in his voice. I let that sink in.

"Is Russell dead? Really dead?"

"Yes."

I let out a breath I hadn't even realized I'd been holding. "Tell me what happened," I said softly. I was beyond ready to hear it.

Wearily, Eric tilted his head back into the cushions and gazed at the ceiling. "Well, after I almost killed you, Russell and his second arrived. We fought in the bar, which is now closed for repairs. Pam dispatched the second _tout de suite_. She was ferocious." Eric allowed himself a small smile of pride, and glanced at me.

"Russell fought hard, he was very old… so strong. But I could feel that the sun was rising. I got him outside, through the back doors. I didn't know for sure…" Eric seemed to turn inwards, his eyes fixed on the fire behind me.

"You didn't burn…" it was a half question, and I touched his hand.

"It was as Bill said," Eric answered, and covered my hand with his. "Painful, but not burned." He paused and looked at me. "I hadn't seen the day since I was turned. To be in the sun again..."

He looked back to the fire and fell silent, remembering.

Finally I had to ask. "But Russell burned?"

"Oh, like a torch." He shot me a satisfied grin, but I know we both thought of Godric at that.

"And then?"

"I went back into the bar, tried to give you some of my blood… but you had no response, wouldn't swallow. I thought you were near death." Eric squeezed my hand briefly. "Pam had to go to ground for the day, but she and Chow had already donated blood for you, into bags... in the storage room freezer. I called Dr. Ludwig and told her to come get you, and told Bobby to stay with you, and to place day guards at the bar. I had to sleep, there... Ludwig got you stabilized, and Bobby brought you here this morning. Ludwig said you'd wake soon."

"What happened to Bill?"

Eric narrowed his eyes at me until I almost squirmed. "He's banished. I sent him away." I felt both relief and a stab of regret. And I knew there was a longer story there, which Eric didn't want to discuss.

"You can do that?"

"Sort of. I had to make amends with the queen, and she agreed with me." He had a bitter tone, and I gave him an enquiring look, which he ignored until I realized that I'd get no answers about it right now.

I chose a different line of questioning. "Are we safe?" Meaning, are there packs of Russell's crazed werewolves hunting for us?

"For the moment, yes," Eric said, sounding quite definite. "We're safe for now. After that TV stunt, very few vampires wanted Russell roaming this earth. I'll figure out something with the wolves… somehow, soon. But it's best if we stay quiet for a time. And you should stay here for a while… stay out of Bon Temps."

Peace and quiet sounded like a great idea to me. "I should call Jason," I said. After three days, he'd probably noticed that I was missing. Well, maybe he'd noticed.

"I have spoken to your brother," Eric said, almost absently. "He knows you're safe." I felt grateful to Eric for that, though God knows how that conversation had gone.

"Where are we, exactly?" I asked, glancing around the room. Bookcases up to the high ceiling covered two walls, and heavy damask curtains were closed over the windows. I felt cozy on this soft sofa, and delightfully warm from the fire.

"It's my home. One of them, anyways. Besides myself, and now you… only Pam and Bobby know about it." He was conveying the significance of my presence here.

I just nodded. I understood the deep trust he was putting in me.

Eric seemed to relax a little, and his eyes flicked over me. "Are you really healed?" he asked, in a low murmur of concern.

"Like it never happened," I said, with a small shrug. Vampire blood had brought me back from serious injury before, but its powers still amazed me. I almost thanked Eric for taking care of me, but realized I wouldn't have needed to go through all that in the first place if it hadn't been for him. But we could have that discussion another time, after I'd had more time to sort through my thoughts.

"I'm very glad to hear that," Eric said, and took my hand to gently pull me towards him. His other arm pulled me easily onto his lap, straddling his legs. I scrambled to arrange my robe, trying to stay covered.

It didn't surprise me at all that Eric would make some kind of move on me just hours after I awoke from a coma. That was just Eric being Eric. But his farewell kiss at Fangtasia had haunted and confused me, during my hours in the basement. I didn't know where we stood, and I realized suddenly that I wanted to understand.

"Sookie, you're shy… for me?" He was chastising me, and sounded a little amused.

I hoped he couldn't see me blushing in the firelight. "Eric, it's just that… I don't know what to think… I never know what to think about you. Or what you really think about me? I mean –"

"No," he interrupted, and put a finger to my lips to silence me. "You _do_ know." Eric pressed one of my hands flat against his cool, smooth chest. "Sookie, we're bonded," he said softly. "Don't you feel it?

Bonded. I searched his watchful face. I felt a swirl of emotions in my head – happiness, arousal, caution – and realized that they were probably Eric's, because I mostly just felt confused. And scared.

"How do I trust you, this time? Eric, you kissed me, but then you chained me in that awful basement. I haven't forgotten that, you know. You said horrible things to me at Russell's house. And you have Yvetta… and God knows who else too…"

"And if I recall correctly, you returned my kiss… enthusiastically." I _had_ gotten caught up in that moment, our first kiss in his office, thinking I would never see him again. Plus, he kisses really well. This blood bond with him, however, seemed like it might be a bigger bite than I could chew.

"There were things I said that I did _not_ mean, Sookie," he continued. "It was for your protection, though you might not understand it all right away. But now… Bill is gone, and you're free to choose, or leave. But I want you to stay… let me protect you."

"You just want to protect me, huh?" Color me skeptical.

He gave me a hint of a smile. "Not _just_ that, no. You know I have… feelings… for you. And you feel something for me. I don't need a blood bond to tell me that."

"You care about me," I said softly.

"I always have, Sookie." His voice was so warm.

"I've had dreams about you…" I said, really more like thinking out loud, and I immediately regretted my words.

Eric didn't seem surprised, but his curiosity was piqued. He raised an eyebrow at me. "Do tell."

"No, Eric. No. It's just that blood thing, obviously. Bill told me all about it… I had, you know, two drops of your blood and it makes me a little _tiny_ bit attracted to you. And that's all - What?"

Eric had started shaking his head. "The blood we've shared just enhances… intensifies… feelings that are already there."

"No." But there was some truth in what he was saying. And it made me wonder how well I knew myself.

"Yes, Sookie." He looked serious but I suspected that he was really enjoying himself. "Now tell me about these dreams." He raised my hand from his chest and pressed his lips softly to my palm.

I stayed silent, slightly mesmerized by his blue eyes, which seemed to be glittering at me. Eric raised my hand just a bit and kissed the inside of my wrist, letting his lips linger there a long moment. He pulled his lips away and didn't bother to hide his smirk.

"I'm all ears…" he said softly, now holding both of my hands. I realized that he would gladly sit here all night, toying with me, until I told him. I sighed, and rolled my eyes.

"Fine. In these dreams," I started, and I had to look down at our hands. I couldn't look at him directly. "You kiss me, and… you're gentle, and sweet, and good…"

Eric tilted my face up with one finger under my chin. He was frowning. "This does not sound like me."

"Maybe it's some… hidden part of you?" I suggested. Eric was conniving, scary, and selfish – I knew it first-hand – but I wanted very much to believe that love was one of his "feelings."

"Do we fuck, in your dreams?" He was looking at me intently, his finger still under my chin. Inwardly, I sighed.

"No," I said emphatically, "I always wake up before…" I waved one of my hands around a little.

He tilted his head and smiled wickedly. "How frustrating for you."

"They're just dreams, Eric," I huffed.

"Yes. I like this… reality… much better," he murmured. His hands moved to my hips, and he pulled me several inches closer. He wanted me to feel his hardness below me, and yes I did. His fangs were showing now, too. He looked especially handsome, and seductive. I sensed that this was probably the last chance I'd have to get up and run. If we started this, Eric wouldn't stop. But I couldn't move, and didn't want to go.

His hips rocked slightly, a calculated move, and I couldn't hold back a little gasp. His hands moved my hips to grind me against him a couple of times, which forced strange breathy mewing sounds from my mouth.

"I cannot resist you," he whispered, with a tone of bemused surprise. His hands slid up my arms and back down, taking the robe with it, off my shoulders. His eyes went right to my camisole-clad breasts. "So beautiful," he said appreciatively, and he set to work on the robe's sash at my waist.

In a moment, the ridiculous robe was on the floor, and his big hands roamed gently, but possessively. He gave a hum of pleasure at the scarcity of fabric over my ass. With one of his hands on my back and another threaded through my hair above the nape of my neck, he tilted me backwards and finally kissed me.

At first the kiss was soft, but when I didn't fight him, he deepened it. Slow, with a nip of one fang against my lips, then deeper still, and more intense, on and on until I was breathless. He broke the kiss to watch his hand move down between us, between my legs, where he pressed me through the lace. I knew he could feel my heat, and the wetness there.

"Just a little, _tiny_ attraction," Eric teased, mocking my earlier words. His eyes slowly lifted to meet mine, and he watched my face carefully as his hand continued to explore, below. My mind was a tangle of lust, fear, exhilaration… lust. Blood bond or not, I wanted him badly. I whimpered as one of his fingers slid into me, and closed my eyes against his intense gaze.

"Sookie," he said, and I loved the slightly ragged sound of his voice now. "Come to my bed." He kissed me deeply again, then trailed his lips down to my neck, and across my collarbones.

And then he was standing. I was attached to him like a barnacle in black lace, my legs around his waist. He carried me to the stairs and as we climbed he nuzzled my neck, and grazed me with his fangs. Through my fog of arousal, I suddenly felt panicky, and my stomach flipped and flopped.

Was I feeling his thoughts? No. I was pretty sure that I wasn't. After all of my dreams of Eric, and his fantastic kisses, we were actually going to bed, and the reality was starting to spook me. In my mind I saw the unwelcome image of Yvetta naked, her legs wide for Eric, her big fake boobs sprinkled with glitter.

"You will love this, Sookie," Eric whispered in my ear. "I promise you." Yvetta faded away, and I felt a rush of calm, this time almost certainly directed from Eric though our bond. So he'd sensed my nerves. Just great. We were heading down the hall now. Eric's talented tongue was on my earlobe, toying with my little earring. He carried me through a big doorway into his pitch-black bedroom, and kicked the door shut behind us.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Eric deposited me on the edge of the bed, kissed my forehead, and stepped away. Without hurry, he turned to a dresser next to the bed and struck a match to light a couple of thick candles. He glanced around the room for a moment, then lit a third candle. The bed was enormous and tall, with four massive posts of carved wood at the corners. The room was sized to match, complete with a sitting area by a fireplace. Its flames suddenly came to life via some button that Eric had pushed.

"Do you sleep in here?" I asked. I scooted myself into the middle of the bed.

"No," he said mildly. He unbuttoned his jeans and gave them a push down his hips, along with his boxers, so they fell to the floor. He stepped out of them. Facing me, he gave me a look of appraisal. I'd seen this expression before, the first night I ever met him, at Fangtasia. Then as now, he seemed very still and… predatory. I'd also seen him naked – and aroused – before, but on the previous occasion I'd been trying not to look. Trying my best, anyway. With this second view of him, he still looked stunning.

"Sookie… don't look so scared," he said in low voice, as he moved onto the bed.

"I'm not," I whispered. "Not hardly."

Eric's hands were at my sides, pulling the stretchy camisole up and over my head. My panties were removed in an instant. He tossed them aside, and bent his head to my breast, nudging me to lie back. He followed me back with his mouth and stretched out on his side next to me, resting on one elbow. He played with one of my nipples with his tongue, then the other. Sublime. I arched my back up to bring my breasts even closer to his lips, and I sighed.

His hand trailed down between my breasts, over my stomach, and over the curls between my legs. I felt one of his fingers inside me, and then a second. Against my neck, he muttered something in another language and then kissed me languorously. My hips were rising to meet the thrusts of his fingers, and my hands clutched for his back, a delightfully broad expanse of thick muscles below velvet-smooth skin. His thumb was circling, expertly. I lost myself in his rhythm and kisses. I was so close to going over the edge, but his hand left me.

He brought his slick fingers to his mouth, and licked one of them, before gently tracing them over my lips. I snaked my tongue out and tasted my own brininess, then took his middle finger into my mouth. I swirled my tongue around it, and sucked softly, meeting his watchful eyes. Eric groaned, and then his hips were between my legs, urging them further apart.

Despite the earlier work of his fingers, it still hurt when he entered me, and I bit back a cry. I squeezed my eyes shut. He paused for a few moments, withdrew slightly, then thrust deep. I felt split in two, but his next thrusts were slow enough for me to recover. "Open your eyes, Sookie," he whispered. "Look at me."

I did, and he gave me a little smile as he quickened the pace gradually. I gave myself over to him, locked on his eyes. The sensation of him inside me had turned exquisite, and I panted as I met his thrusts.

"More… more…" I gasped. His hand tilted my hips slightly… there, and I whimpered his name as he answered my plea. His strokes turned shorter, harder. In a rush I saw slashes of light. I cried out and shook under him, around him.

Eric's hips had slowed to a lazy rhythm as I caught my breath below him, but as my wits returned, his thrusts turned stronger and faster. His hands curled through my hair. Aftershocks from my release rolled through me, and my nails dug into his back. He kissed me roughly, nicking my lip with a fang. The taste of my blood drove Eric to seek more, and he bit my neck, pulled once deeply, and reached his release with a growl.

After a few moments, I felt Eric's tongue at my neck as he healed me. He licked my lips, kissed me softly. He sighed my name in a tone of languid contentment, and rolled us over, pulling my limp body atop him. My head was tucked under his chin, his hand in my hair, and I never wanted to move again.

"I've waited so long for this," he murmured after a time, and one of his hands lazily swept down my back.

I smiled. "It hasn't been _that_ long... You've only known me a few months." Since I'd gotten acquainted with vampires, my life felt like a blur.

"I have been _very_ patient," he assured me, and gave my ass a little squeeze.

"It was worth the wait then," I whispered, and gave his neck a few little kisses.

"I should have had you that first night," he mused, "when we met."

"I was with Bill then," I reminded him, and Eric's presumption of winning me over or fucking me just after we'd met was so predictably… Eric. He and Pam had been frightening, but I had to admit that I'd admired Eric's cold beauty that night. Our short conversation at Fangtasia had felt like the start of… something.

"Not really… You were still a virgin."

I lifted my head. "How'd you know that?" I was genuinely surprised that he did, and hated to imagine Bill bragging about this to Eric.

"I just knew, that night," he said easily, and kissed my nose lightly. "It's a vampire thing."

"I'm glad I'm here," I said softly, "with you."

"You delight me, Sookie… You are my dearest. And you're mine, now."

"So possessive," I murmured dryly. But I'd felt something very tender for him when he called me his dearest.

"Yes." I felt his lips in my hair for a moment.

With a little groan I moved off of Eric, and curled up next to him. I wondered if I felt as possessive as Eric did, and if he was really "mine" too. I mulled that over for a long while.

"Are there others?" I finally asked, gently. A normal girl probably would have thought to ask this question _before_.

"Other… women?" he asked, sounding slightly surprised. "Not like you, Sookie. Not at all like this."

"Yvetta?" I whispered.

Eric turned onto his side, and leaned on one elbow. He searched my face, and took one of my hands in his own.

"Darling," he said, in a low voice, "I wish you hadn't seen that, in the basement… I would never do that to you." His paused and one eyebrow lifted. "Unless you wanted me to…?"

I shook my head quickly, and he pressed his lips into a little smile.

"Yvetta is gone already," he said, and squeezed my hand. "Sookie… for vampires, taking blood and sex… they are tied together. One lust feeds the other. And it's just lust. But what I feel with you… I don't feel like this with any other woman."

"So if I hopped into bed with Sam… or Pam, for God's sakes, and it was 'just lust'…?"

"Do you want to do that?" he asked, a little edge in his voice.

"No, of course not."

He thought for a moment. "I would kill Sam, certainly. But Pam… I think I would enjoy watching that." He gave me a little grin.

I frowned, and chided him, "That's a double standard, Eric. You'd kill Sam, but I should turn a blind eye to all of your fangbangers at the bar?"

"They mean nothing to me, Sookie," Eric murmured, shrugging a little. "But if it will please you, I'll try to only feed on them."

Months ago, his answer would have horrified me. And now… "That would please me," I said, and leaned up to kiss his mouth.

"If you _did_ want to bed Pam…" he said smoothly, suggestively.

"No, Eric." I smiled. I paused for a long moment, still slightly uneasy. "Anyone else… besides Yvetta?"

He gave me a look and raised his eyebrows, and I mirrored his expression.

"Are you being… possessive, Sookie?" he teased. I didn't answer him, so he said gently, and more seriously, "Vampires aren't monogamous, Sookie."

"Bill was faithful to me."

Eric just looked at me skeptically, until I added, "For a while, anyway."

He bowed his head for a moment. "Let's not speak of Bill right now," he said quietly, "or anyone else. Sookie, you mean more to me than you understand."

He kissed me then, pressing me back onto the mattress, and his fingers massaged a sensitive spot on my hip. I mewed against his mouth and ran my fingers through his short, sleek hair. Eric's hand shifted to the folds between my legs and he caught my little wince at his touch.

"Do you want me to heal you?" he asked.

I shook my head a little and pulled him back to my mouth. Our coupling this time was gentle, like he was trying to prove that my past dreams of him had come to life. Afterward, Eric's arms held me close. I felt sated, and safe. I felt something close to love through our bond, and I smiled. My beautiful, dangerous Viking kissed my shoulder, and I drifted off towards sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Eric left me a couple hours before dawn to take care of some vampire business, and I slept soundly past one o'clock. When I woke, I saw a row of department store shopping bags lined up near the door, and guessed that Pam must have brought them over at some point during the night. I stretched in the big bed and sensed the soreness between my legs. I drifted off for a few minutes, remembering the feel of him, the pleasure of it all.

Finally I looked through the bags, and found jeans, fuzzy sweaters, a tube top, t-shirts, a couple of blouses, a short terrycloth robe, and a soft velour track suit. One bag held an assortment of shoes, all my size. And two bags full of assorted outrageous lingerie. Bless Pam's heart, she just couldn't help it.

I took a quick shower and put on some jeans and a t-shirt, and went downstairs.

Eric had made me promise not the leave the house, and I soon discovered that Bobby had been assigned to shadow me constantly. My requests to call Jason or Sam or Tara fell on Bobby's deaf ears. Only the phone in Eric's office had an outside line; the rest were just house phones. Bobby did make me a nice lunch – a big salad with shrimp – but I chafed at his hovering. He didn't seem real thrilled about it either.

Seeking privacy, I retreated back to the big master bathroom upstairs, and this time I lounged in the shower, scrubbing myself and experimenting with the fancy jets in the walls. I took my time doing my hair (I'd found a hair dryer), and painted my toe nails. I tried not to think about Russell and his brutal thugs, and Bill's mysterious fate. There wasn't anything I could do about any of that, right now.

In Eric's bedroom, I discovered a big flat TV in the wall, hidden behind a painting. I opened the drawers of the console cabinet below it (okay, I snooped), and found piles of DVD's. They were mostly porn, both human and vampire varieties. Not that I'm any expert. I closed the drawers quietly.

A knock at the bedroom door made me jump, but of course it was just Bobby. He wanted to clean the room (and reassure himself that I hadn't climbed out a window, I heard in his head). He pointed me to a loveseat by the fireplace, and I sat. He wouldn't let me help, and he had more opinions about how to meticulously fold things than Gran ever did. He didn't want much conversation. From his thoughts, I knew that he was troubled by my presence in the house. I didn't seem like a fangbanger to Bobby, and he wasn't quite able to define the connection between me and Eric. His orders were crystal clear, though: keep Sookie safe, and make her comfortable.

I felt a little cooped up already. Eric's house was a real nice cage, but I'm not used to sitting around getting waited on. I couldn't take it out on Bobby, though; he was just doing his job. When he was done in the bedroom, Bobby escorted me down to the library, where he cleaned and re-stocked the fireplace. I thumbed through a stack of oversized coffee table books: Golf Courses of the World, Gothic Architecture, Classic Cars of Italy. I had no idea if Eric loved these books, or had never opened them.

With a sigh, Bobby settled into a chair nearby and began to study a thick Neiman Marcus catalog like he was going to get quizzed on it later. He caught my expression and shrugged defensively.

"Gonna be winter soon… Eric wants some new clothes. Coats, and stuff."

"Let me see," I said, holding out my hand for the catalog. Bobby handed it over with some relief, and that's how we spent the rest of the afternoon.

Bobby and I had a simple supper in the kitchen, and the sun set as we ate. He cleaned up afterwards, while I fidgeted in my chair. I felt a happy anticipation about seeing Eric, and impatience that he hadn't yet appeared. Pam was the first vampire to arrive tonight.

She was carrying a garment bag from some boutique, which she tossed to Bobby without a glance at him. He caught it – barely – and stomped out.

"Good evening, Sookie," she drawled, with a happy purr in her voice.

"Hi, Pam." I hadn't seen her since the eventful night at Fantasia. Pam looked much more relaxed now. She wore a snug wrap dress, and delicate heels covered in rhinestones. Her dangling earrings matched the shoes. Her big purse probably cost more than I made in a month, or two.

"Back among the living, I see," she smiled.

"Pam, thank you for donating blood for me," I said, and I meant it sincerely. I hadn't forgotten that she'd been quite willing to hand me over to Russell, and Eric had probably ordered her to donate blood, but I still wanted to thank her. "And the clothes, too," I added. "I really appreciate it."

"Speaking of clothes," she answered, "You need to go change. I brought you the perfect thing."

"Why?" The jeans and t-shirt I was wearing seemed fine to me.

"The clothes I brought you before were _day_ clothes," she said, as if I was an idiot. "And now, it's _nighttime_."

"Are we going somewhere?" I asked.

"Well, you never know," she shrugged. "Scoot on upstairs and try it on. Eric will _love_ it."

I got an ominous feeling at that last remark, but I was feeling indebted to her. Upstairs we went, and the bag she'd brought over was lying on the freshly-made bed in Eric's room. She handed it to me.

She eyed the bed. "He certainly got right down to business with you," she chuckled, and I blushed a little and fumbled with the bag's zipper.

"Where's Eric?" I asked.

"Paperwork," she said, sounding bored.

Pam had brought me a blouse and a skirt, and I breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn't some itty-bitty latex thing like the Fangtasia staff favored. The skirt was a soft black wool, very slim and maybe knee length. The blouse was silk, light as a feather, and seemed to be missing its back. The fabric's pattern of tiny gold dots against steel grey was tasteful, even pretty.

She made an impatient gesture with her hand, and I handed the outfit back to her and unbuttoned my jeans. I gave her a glance, and she rolled her eyes to the ceiling. That was as much privacy as I was going to get.

I had my jeans and t-shirt off and was reaching for the skirt when she suddenly exclaimed, "Not _that_ underwear," and began digging through the bags she'd brought earlier. "Here," she said, and handed me a little lacy thong.

A few minutes later, I was dressed. The skirt fit me like a tight glove to just below my knees, and only the slit in the back allowed me to walk. The blouse was more like a loose halter, cut very low in front, with a soft bow behind my neck and another at the back of my waist. Pam had had to tie those, and seemed to relish the task too much. My back was bare, and my breasts swayed a little under the draped silk in front. Pam insisted that no bra on earth would work with this top.

With a flourish, she produced a pair of heels from her purse, and I sat on the bed to put them on. They were black patent, very high, with a flouncy ribbon bow on a wide satin cuff around each ankle. I stood in them, feeling tall and shaky, and Pam looked delighted.

"And _now_ you can go see him," she said happily.

I teetered downstairs with Pam trailing behind me. She pointed me to Eric's office, and she strolled off towards the library.

Eric was indeed in his office. It was just as cluttered as his office at Fangtasia. He sat behind a big carved desk which was mostly covered in haphazard piles of papers. He was wearing a charcoal grey suit and a black dress shirt without a tie, very unlike his usual casual look. Pen in hand, he studied me as I approached, still wobbling in my too-high heels.

"What has Pam dressed you in?" he asked, shaking his head slightly and smiling a little. I had the distinct feeling that Pam had gift-wrapped me… a little present for her master.

"She didn't give me any choice, Eric."

His hand on my hip gently turned me so he could evaluate the rear view. "You look delicious," he said thoughtfully, "and I think… it is very Pam. Don't let her get too bossy."

I rolled my eyes. "Wish me luck with that," I murmured, and Eric smiled. I shifted a couple of folders from one pile to another and perched myself up on the corner of his desk, my legs crossed. His eyes wandered over me.

"I'll look forward to undressing you later," he said, and glanced at my feet. "We'll leave those shoes on, though."

He turned back to his papers, which he started stuffing into a folder.

"You're all dressed up, too," I said. "What's the occasion?"

"Sookie, I must leave you tonight, briefly. I have a meeting downtown soon." I felt a ping of disappointment, and realized that I'd been hoping for some sort of date with him. But then I couldn't really picture Eric on a date… it seemed almost absurd.

"What kind of meeting?"

"Lawyers," he replied, sounding annoyed. "We can discuss it later. Pam will stay with you."

A question had been nagging me all day. "Eric, can you explain something?" I asked, and he looked up from his folder. "When you took my blood, a lot of it… at the bar, and then I got blood from Pam and Chow… why didn't I turn into a vampire?"

Eric's face remained perfectly neutral, and his eyes still met mine, but his body went very still. I was beginning to be able to read him better, his subtleties, though I felt nothing through our bond at this moment. Like he was blocking me out. I had a sinking feeling.

"Sookie, it's not an exact process," he said coolly, after a moment.

"Did you try to turn me?" My voice came out as a whisper.

"I would not have you die," Eric answered in a low tone. I heard the non-answer in his answer. Then he tossed the folder to the desk, and leaned back in his chair, which at least gave the affectation of relaxing. "And that's the past, Sookie," he continued, "and here you are, healthy and beautiful... and human. There's no need to worry about turning vampire." He patted my knee. Discussion finished.

My temper rose. "Let's get this straight," I said, trying to stay calm, "I don't want to be a vampire… ever. I don't want to die any time soon, but if that's about to happen, you'll have to accept it. Don't turn me, Eric. No matter what."

His mouth set into a hard line, and he was silent for too long. I felt a little chill.

"You should not decide this now, Sookie. You may come to change your mind. Human life is very… unpredictable."

I hopped off of the desk and curled onto Eric's lap. He seemed almost startled.

"And vampire life_ isn't_ unpredictable?" I asked.

"It's predictably unpredictable," he sighed, and his lips quirked into a hint of a smile. "Usually."

"I don't want to be a vampire," I said softly, but determined.

Eric ran his fingers over my neck, casually. It was a gentle gesture but I felt the tiny hint of a threat too.

"You would be mine forever," he answered me, just as softly. "I would be an excellent master for you, Sookie. The things I could teach you... You would become a great vampire, a very powerful one. Give it more thought."

His hand moved to the back of my neck and pulled me forward for a long kiss. He's trying to distract me, I thought. The kiss seemed a proxy for our argument, fighting each other but locked together. I suddenly sensed his mood: a surge of dark arousal. Eric shoved some papers aside on his desk and lifted me without effort onto it, then pushed my shoulder back until I was draped across the desk.

Eric quickly tugged my skirt up, and removed the little scrap of my underwear. His mouth landed between my legs, opening me, and the sensation was both delicate and demanding. I gasped as his tongue set a rhythm on the bundle of nerves at my core. God, he was good at this. Soon I couldn't focus on anything except wanting. My hips bucked, my heels scraped across the desk, and I craved him inside me.

I breathed his name. "Eric, please… please…"

He didn't answer. His mouth was unrelenting, dragging me closer and closer to release. His hand pushed one of my legs even further back, and suddenly he bit me high on my inner thigh. The pain and then the first luscious pull of blood sent me hurtling right over the edge, shaking and gasping. Smaller spasms of pleasure rolled through me as he drank briefly, and then gently licked the marks.

Eric stood, and put his hands on his desk near my head, so he loomed over me. I looked up at him, and felt dazed as I tried to catch my breath. He licked his bloody lips.

"Mine forever, Sookie," he said. He leaned down to kiss my mouth softly, and then picked up a couple folders and his cell phone.

"Think about it," he called back to me as he left.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

I lay on his desk for a minute or two, my eyes closed, trying to gather my thoughts. Eric was so overwhelming at times, so consuming and possessive, that the thought of even a month with him made me bone-weary. And danger tended to find Eric like a fleas to a dog. But I had to admit that he also brought me great pleasure, and I'd never spent a dull minute with him. He could infuriate and charm me, almost at the same time. I loved his passion for life, even if he was technically dead. Worst of all, the thought of being apart from him had become almost wrenching, just in the past day. Was that just the bond?

I groaned and sat up, then stood and pulled my skirt back down. As I commenced the hunt for my underwear, Pam walked in.

I knew she could smell the whole story, and she smirked.

"He does have his way with you, doesn't he?" she asked.

"Not always," I muttered, but she was more right than not. I spied my panties on the floor by a bookcase, and stooped to retrieve them. I realized suddenly that my soreness from our coupling last night was completely gone. Eric had sneaked some of his blood onto me, or into me, as I'd lain under his mouth on his desk. Conniving, but kind, at the same time. I sighed.

"I'll make you a drink, Sookie. You look like you need one. Come with me."

The little bit of silk in my hand was torn beyond repair, so I silently dropped it into the trashcan by his desk, and followed Pam to the kitchen.

I sat on one of the bar stools at the island as Pam retrieved a heavy glass, added a little ice, and located an unopened bottle of gin. She poured a generous amount, then took a small bottle of tonic water and splashed a bit of it into the glass. She placed it in front of me, and stood back, crossing her arms.

I took a polite sip, unsurprised that the drink was far too strong for my tastes. "Thanks Pam," I said, and had another tiny sip. A not-unpleasant burn settled in my stomach.

"So, he liked the outfit." She was pleased with herself.

"He did," I said simply. I didn't want to hurt her feelings, or re-hash what had happened.

Pam smiled at me, and then looked around, bored. "I'm supposed to entertain you, which could be a challenge, since we have to stay here… Want to watch a movie? You can't have popcorn, though. The smell nauseates me."

"What kind of movie?" I asked cautiously. I was thinking of the DVD's in Eric's room.

She gave me a knowing smile. "Whatever you like, Sookie," she said lightly. "Let's go. Bring your drink."

To my surprise, she led me through a heavy door that had a fingerprint keypad lock (a light flashed green above her thumb), down a flight of stairs, and through another door which required both a regular key (Pam fished one out of her bra) and a fingerprint.

"Are we allowed down here?" I whispered. This must be where Eric slept during the day.

"I am, _obviously_, and since you're with me, it's fine," she said, not whispering. "But don't come down here by yourself. _Never_ surprise him here." She gave me a significant look. I nodded, though I figured I'd never get past the locks anyway.

"If there's an emergency during the day," she added, "get Bobby, or call the police."

We were standing in a spacious, windowless room. Built-in cabinetry lined one wall. The space felt very different from upstairs; the decor was modern, sleek, almost cold. At the far end was a large bed with a towering upholstered headboard, the linens neatly made (by Bobby, I presumed). A big white leather sofa and two low modern chairs flanked a glass coffee table closer to us. A huge TV up on the wall faced the sofa. The floor was covered with a thick pale wool carpet, with some kind of dark animal skin rug at the foot of the bed.

Pam walked over to the wall cabinets and opened one door, revealing a library of DVD's. I moved closer and peered at the titles. He had eclectic taste, and the movies seemed to be in no particular order. While I surveyed them, Pam got herself a bottle of TrueBlood from a little fancy glass-front fridge, and heated it in a microwave that was embedded in the wall. She seemed to feel right at home down here.

"Casablanca?" I asked. It was a safe choice, with nothing too violent or sexual to get Pam riled up.

"Whatever," she shrugged, and sipped her beverage.

"Have you seen it?" I handed her the movie.

"No," Pam answered, which didn't surprise me. She was hardly a die-hard romantic.

She loaded the movie and pressed a sequence of buttons on two remote controls to get the film started. We sat on the sofa, and I quickly drank about half of my gin and tonic. This all felt very surreal.

Pam took quite an interest in Ingrid Bergman, and she declared Laszlo to be a "wuss." I got all misty and sniffly when Sam sang "As Time Goes By." Pam rolled her eyes in disgust then, at me or the song, or both, but she managed to watch the rest of the movie without too many snide comments.

"You need another drink, Sookie."

I was feeling pretty numb already, but she insisted and was already heading for the stairs. We went back to the kitchen. Pam locked the doors behind us as we left Eric's day room.

I settled back onto a bar stool, and watched her freshen my drink. She handed it to me and looked expectant. I took a tiny sip and raised my glass to her. Cheers.

"Are you in love with Eric?" she asked quietly, and I almost dropped my drink.

"I don't know," I said, honestly. I felt cornered, and I hoped Eric would get back from his meeting as soon as possible.

"Lots of people fall in love with him," she said, a little coldly, "but I've never seen him like this. So infatuated with a human. Eric _loves _women, but I think he might be in love with you." She paused a moment. "It's _very_ unlike him."

I offered her a tiny shrug. "He hasn't said anything like that to me," I said. Then I thought that that wasn't quite true, so I added, "He hasn't said he's in love with me." That was true.

Pam was looking at me with a cat's watchfulness.

"If you fuck with his head," she said slowly and quietly, "I will _personally _remove your head from your body."

I nodded, and took a quick sip of my drink. Pam gazed at her sparkling shoes for a few moments, which seemed to calm her.

"Sookie, you have to understand that he's my maker, my master, and I would give my vampire life for his. My fate is tied to his. If he… loses focus… on the business at hand, on the things he needs to do to keep us all alive -"

"I didn't ask to be here," I said, a little defensively. "I'd be real appreciative if you'd just drop me off in Bon Temps." And that wasn't quite true, either, though I was already missing the routine of my home, and even my shifts at Merlotte's.

"He wants what he wants," she sighed. "And I know you don't want to go, quite yet. He's too charming, isn't he?" She gave me a conspiring smile. Charming meant a whole lot of things, the way she said it.

"He makes me… confused," I said, after a few moments. Having a heart-to-heart girls' talk with Pam struck me as a dangerous idea, but who knew Eric better than Pam?

She moved to sit on the bar stool next to mine. "What's so confusing?" she asked, her voice low and silky.

"I don't want to be… owned, by anyone. I really care about Eric, I do. But after Bill… and now Eric, I think that dating a vampire… might not be the healthiest relationship. You know?"

Pam raised her eyebrows. "Healthy relationship? Sookie, you've got to stop watching Oprah. Vampires ain't nothing like that."

Her voice turned gently mocking. "A _relationship_ with a vampire is based on blood, and sex."

"And love," I said in a small voice.

"Not the kind of love you're thinking about… the fairytale with a couple of kids and the white picket fence out front? Growing old together? That's not gonna happen with any vampire."

"I know that," I said, a little sulky. There wasn't anything wrong with wanting a husband and kids and a nice house. I sipped my drink.

"So vampires don't fall in love… with humans?" I asked. I thought of Bill, who had done a pretty good impression of being in love with me… for a while, anyway. And Isabelle with her treacherous human Hugo.

"I never have," Pam declared, archly.

She paused, and said more gently, "Eric might find you adorable and beautiful… and tasty… but you're human, _mostly_. So I don't understand how he's acting like this. It doesn't make sense." She frowned, mulling this over.

"See?" I said, feeling a little bold from the gin, "He makes you confused too."

She gave me a quick sharp look. Pam definitely didn't like being on equal footing with a human.

"Why do you think he… might be… in love with me?" I asked, and realized that I was actually holding my breath.

"I'm his child," Pam said. "I just… sense it."

"Maybe I'm his… pet?" I asked, feeling apprehensive. Bill had mentioned pets in a disdainful tone, once, but at the time I hadn't thought much of it.

"Eric's not real big on pets."

"Why not? What is a pet, exactly?"

Pam pinned me with her eyes, but finally answered, "A human pet is a reliable source of blood and sex. A vampire shares blood with their pet to have a bond, keep the pet closer… and obedient. Some vampires spoil their pets, others abuse them. Pets are glamoured as well, and too much so, eventually."

I couldn't be glamoured, but the rest of it sounded frighteningly similar to my current situation.

"But Eric's never had a pet?" I asked, hopefully.

"Oh, just once," she said in a reassuring tone. "And it was a _long_ time ago. Maybe 50, 60 years after Godric released him? So we're talking ancient history. Godric had never let Eric have a pet, but in his new freedom, I think Eric went into what you might call an _experimental phase_. His pet was some woman."

"What happened to her?" I asked.

"He accidently killed her," Pam grinned, but added quickly in a stage whisper, "Don't ask him about it. It's still a _touchy subject_."

"Did she die when he… Did he try to turn her?" I asked.

Pam froze for a moment, then opened her mouth into a perfect O of surprise. "I should have guessed it… Eric wants to turn you vampire?"

I thought I probably shouldn't say anything more, since I was unsure if Eric's wishes were meant to be secret. I wasn't even totally sure what Eric wanted. I stared down at my drink and felt the urge to gulp the rest down.

"I'll take that as a yes," Pam drawled. She didn't sound displeased. "You know, he does have good instincts about these things."

"I told him no."

She waved that thought aside with a manicured hand. "Honey, you'll be a good vampire. And Eric's a _great_ master, I must say. When's he gonna do it?"

"He's not going to do anything!" I said urgently.

"Mm-hmm," Pam murmured, clearly skeptical.

I took a big swallow of my drink. "Do you really like being a vampire, Pam? Would you do it again?"

Pam's face softened. "I love it. It's _fabulous_. Of course, I didn't sit around and _discuss it_ with Eric beforehand. He just did it. But I was very happy about it. I've never regretted it."

"Never regretted what?" Eric walked into the kitchen, and his expression looked both amused and wary.

"Becoming vampire," Pam purred.

"Ah," said Eric, and moved behind Pam's chair to give her a light kiss on the top of her head. He narrowed his eyes at me, gauging the situation. "Pam, thank you for regaling Sookie with your... thoughts. You're free to go."

Pam stood gracefully and gave Eric a big lascivious smile. He rolled his eyes and nodded his head toward the door.

"You kids have fun…" Pam said as she walked out, her heels clicking away.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

In the kitchen, Eric's face was neutral as he looked at me for a minute. I was definitely happy to see him, but also felt like bursting into tears. I felt scared, but protected. I wanted to kiss him, and punch his nose. My mind was a tipsy mess, and he probably sensed that.

"Come on, Sookie," he said, and held out his hand. I took one last big drink from my nearly-empty glass, and let him lead me to the library. It was softly lit and smelled faintly of wood smoke from the fire last night. He sat on the big sofa again, and pulled me against him, my back to his chest, his strong arms around me. I put my feet, heels and all, up on the sofa. I felt the calm he was sending me through our bond, and I allowed it to relax me a little.

"Sookie," he said in a low voice above my head, "no matter what Pam told you, I do not want to turn you vampire against your will."

I felt a couple of tears run down my cheek, and Eric hugged me a little tighter.

"Pam thinks it's a done deal," I sniffled.

"No, not a done deal. But you should keep an open mind about it. Just do that."

I nodded emphatically. It wasn't the answer I'd wanted, but it was a start, a compromise, and more than I'd hoped to get from him, honestly.

"How much gin have you have had?" Eric asked, and I could hear the smile in his voice.

"Too much…" I sighed, "Pam makes a mean drink… but I won't pass out."

"You might pass out, but it would not be from the gin," he assured me. My memory flashed back to Eric pinning me to the sofa in his office, drawing more and more blood from my neck. A spiral of panic twisted through me, and I stiffened.

"Not that," he whispered in my ear, and gave my ear a little kiss. "It would be more like this."

My eyes fluttered open, and I realized that I was in Eric's bed, under the sheet, with Eric near me. The fireplace was lit, and sent flickering shadows around the room. Faintly, I heard a splashing sound from the bathroom. The bathtub was filling.

Eric was naked, lying on his stomach, with his chin resting on his folded arms. He was watching me, and his expression turned smug when I met his eyes. He picked up one of my limp hands and kissed it gently.

"Are you okay?" he murmured.

I felt entirely boneless, but euphoric. And sore again, in a delicious kind of way. Eric had fucked me hard on the carpet in the library, and had indeed left my shoes on. So many times, he'd brought me to the edge, and then denied any release to me. When he finally let me come, I must have actually blacked out.

"That was… amazing," I said softly. I was both excited and terrified by the power Eric could have over me, and the things he did with me.

He nodded in agreement and kissed my fingers, and I lightly touched one of his fangs with them. So sharp.

"How long was I out?"

"Not long," he said. "Maybe ten minutes."

I thought for a few moments, remembering his hands on me. "Is it our bond that makes this… so good?" I wasn't quite sure how to ask, or if I might offend him. "Or is it just you?" I teased him a little.

"Maybe it's you, Sookie." He raised an eyebrow at me.

I shook my head, with a little smile. I knew that I wasn't the one with a thousand years of experience.

"Our bond isn't very strong, actually," Eric said. "I've had a lot of your blood recently, but you didn't take much of mine in Dallas."

"Does it wear off?" I tried to ask this gently, but Eric flicked his eyes back to mine immediately.

"It fades slowly, over time. Unless you renew it. But no, it never goes away completely." He looked at me fondly then. "I don't want it to go away, Sookie."

He raised himself up on his elbows, leaned forward, and kissed me softly, then more deeply. He broke the kiss, and slowly pulled the sheet down my body with one finger, his eyes following along.

"Take my blood." He said it softly, but with intent.

"You just want to heal me and have sex again," I smirked.

A corner of his mouth tilted upwards. "Well, there's always that… but there are other reasons, more important reasons."

I recalled my conversation with Pam about pets, and now it spooked me. "Eric, I don't think we should… not yet, anyway. I hardly know what I've gotten myself into already."

Eric gave me a guarded look, and I felt his tension.

"It's a gift to you," he said slowly, and his voice had turned a little frosty. I'd offended him. Him and his ancient, powerful blood.

"And I appreciate it, really, but I have to know… Do you think I'm your pet?"

He looked at me sharply, and frowned for a long moment. "You are not my pet, and if you knew what a pet is, you would not even ask me this."

"I know what it is," I said, staying as calm as I could, hoping to influence him indirectly. I pulled the sheet back up.

He rolled onto his back with a huff and looked at the ceiling. Despite his anger, he retracted his fangs very slowly, which was show-offy. Younger vampires can't control their fangs like that.

"Sookie, a pet is a… creature… to be used. Enjoyed, yes, but finally discarded."

Before I could stop myself, I said, "You used me, for my blood."

"To save _you_ and kill _Russell_," he fumed. "If Russell had taken you, Sookie, you would have spent the rest of your life tied to a bed or chained –"

"In the basement of a bar?" I asked.

He shot me a warning look. "I had to be sure that you would stay at Fangtasia. You have a habit of running off, ineffectually trying to help."

We were both silent for a while. Finally Eric turned towards me, onto his side.

"Sookie, I don't make this offer lightly. Very few vampires ever form a blood bond with a human. My blood will make you stronger, and safer. Do you understand?"

In that moment, I realized that being blood-bound to Eric, and intentionally strengthening that bond, was a commitment that Eric probably held dearer than any human notion of marriage. If he put a big diamond ring on my finger, it would mean less to him than me taking his blood. He'd tricked me into the bond, in Dallas, but that was my fate now, for better or worse. I could keep fighting it, or embrace it.

I searched our bond, and felt his love, and a bit of sadness. I touched his lips with my fingers, which he kissed reflexively, and the sadness trailed away. I nodded my head. I had my fears, my doubts, and a million questions, but I would embrace whatever this was between us, what it could be.

"Do it," I whispered. Eric's mouth twisted to a small smile as he calmly propped himself up on an elbow. He extended his fangs, and bit into his wrist while keeping his eyes on mine. He brought his wrist to my mouth without spilling a drop.

"Drink, now."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

When I'd sucked two bullets out of Eric's chest in Dallas, along with a bit of his blood, I'd been in a state, as Arlene would say. Shocked… disgusted, panicked. Now, his blood trickled onto my tongue, and I actually tasted it.

It was far richer than Bill's blood, like the best dark chocolate compared to dime-store stuff. I closed my eyes and sucked, my mouth suddenly full of him. I heard Eric moan, and he moved closer to me. I swallowed a second time, almost choking, and felt his blood running wild in my veins, an electric sensation. My body hummed, and I wondered if my skin could contain the energy I felt. Eric pulled his wrist away then, and lapped at the wound. I had wanted more.

"Fuck…" I whispered, and curled up into a ball, on my side. I felt Eric's hand in my hair, gently brushing it out of my face. The threads that had connected us now turned into a rope, and I felt his tenderness for me, with an undercurrent of wanton lust.

Eric was out of the bed then, and he picked me up. We went into the bathroom, where the air was steamy, a couple of candles burned, and the large bathtub was full right up to the high overflow drain. Water still poured into the tub from the spout, but Eric shut it off after he stood me on my feet on the marble floor. Holding one of my hands, he guided me into the deep tub, and followed me in. There was plenty of room for both of us. Plenty of room for three or four people, I guessed.

Eric submerged himself briefly, and reappeared, pushing his wet hair back. I made my way over to him, and sat in his lap. The warm water felt heavenly, and the drops of it on Eric's skin gave me a shiver of arousal. My skin was glowing, as it had after taking a lot of Bill's blood months ago.

"It's good, yes?" he asked, preening a little about his gift to me.

"Eric, I don't even know how to describe it." I felt vital and alert, but dreamy. And lusty. I couldn't tear my eyes away from Eric's. They looked intensely blue, a shade I hadn't seen before.

"I know," he said. "I love seeing you discover this." His fingers twined through mine.

"I feel… our bond is much stronger, isn't it?"

He nodded and gave me a little smile, and one of his hands drifted over my breasts. My fingers moved up his chest and clasped his wonderful shoulders. I kissed his neck, then licked him and scraped my teeth against the skin. He murmured a noise at that, so I bit him gently and sucked, though I didn't draw blood, and brought my hand down to stroke his erection. He closed his eyes and sighed, and I knew he was struggling not to take control, to take me there in the tub. The water had heated his skin to the point that he felt almost human under my touch. I bit his chest, and grazed one nipple with my teeth. He twitched in my hand. I bit him harder, and squeezed him, moving my hand a little faster.

After a minute Eric abruptly removed my hand and kissed me. "Take me in your mouth, Sookie" he said against my lips, and pulled himself out of the water. He sat on the broad tiled deck of the tub. Now I had an eye-level view that was... intimidating. I got to my knees in the water, and nestled between his long legs.

I looked up at him, and he was watching me, his head tilted a little. I'd only done this twice with Bill – I'd felt awkward, and I'd choked and gagged noisily, which had mortified me.

I don't know if it was Eric's blood in me or his half-lidded gaze that gave me a rush, now. Even though I was on my knees before him, I felt powerful as I took him in my hand. I leaned down a little and swirled my tongue around him, then down the length, to the scrotum below. I kissed and licked the soft skin there, then glanced up at Eric's face. He'd reclined against the wall, eyes closed.

I took as much of his length as I could in my mouth, my hands on the rest, and sucked gently. Willing myself to relax, and loving the feel and taste of him against my tongue, I took him in deeper, and applied more pressure. Somehow I coordinated one of my hands with the pace of my mouth, and then my whole world was Eric and his pleasure, which I could feel in my head. His hips were moving, but I suspected he was trying not to thrust too hard, and he kept his hands at his sides.

I sucked, and swirled, and gasped against him until Eric swore in another language. I felt his body tense up, and he came. I swallowed and hardly choked. I gave him one last caress with my tongue and a lingering kiss on his thigh, then sat back in the tub. I was panting and sparking with arousal, both his and mine.

Eric slid back into the tub in front of me and kissed me hard. He lifted my body a little and sank his fangs into the side of my breast, pulling deeply. I cried out, and mewed with disappointment when he stopped. He slowly licked the wound with his tongue.

I felt too tightly wound, and full of need. It took only a few moments of Eric's fingers between my legs to set me off, the sound of my scream echoing around the room, my body shaking hard against his chest. It seemed unending. He whispered soothing words in my ear, only some of which I understood, and I felt his arms tighten around me. I slowly regained my breath.

"Eric," I breathed. "Oh my God…" I felt overwhelmed, and then I whimpered as I realized that renewed arousal was already starting to coil inside me.

"Shh… it's just very new to you," he murmured, as his hands slowly rubbed my back. "Sometimes I forget that."

I rested my forehead on his chest, closed my eyes, and tried to make sense of it all… What was mine, what was from Eric, our bond… Bill and I had shared blood, and pleasure, but neither had felt like this.

"You'll get used to this…" he said, "and you can control it. Although I _do_ like you out of control…" I couldn't form real words yet, but I smiled against his neck.

I didn't want to leave Eric's arms, but the water was cooling, and finally he gently urged me to my feet. He lifted me out of the tub, and wrapped me in a soft towel. He made a haphazard effort at drying himself, then put his hands on my shoulders and walked me back to the bed. He sat on the edge of it, then lay on his back. He was erect again, so I knew I wasn't the only one with this insatiable appetite.

I dropped my towel, and slowly crawled up Eric's body. My wet hair dripped onto him as I nuzzled his chest. I sat up, straddling him, and lowered myself to his base. I hissed at the delicious sensation of being filled again. He closed his eyes for a long moment.

Eric let me set my pace. His hips rose up to meet mine, and his hungry eyes now watched me. I leaned forward and bit his neck gently, then his nipple, and his back arched. I moved my hips a little faster, finding the right friction, and came so quickly, and sharply, that even Eric seemed surprised. I caught a glimpse of his face, which looked either bemused or admiring. I panted against his chest, sighing his name.

He still filled me, and now he rolled us over and thrust into me with hard strokes as he sought his release. Through our bond, Eric's pleasure and lust boiled. It felt primal and dark, and a little frightening, to share this passion so closely. He came with a guttural sigh and moved to rest next to me.

"Sookie… to think that I almost lost you…" His voice was so quiet that I thought he might just be talking to himself.

"I'm here," I whispered, and smiled a little. My eyelids felt too heavy to open.

"You should sleep," he said reluctantly, and then gave me a small soft kiss. "Sweet dreams, Sookie..." I knew he was teasing me, but I drifted off before I could protest.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

I was restless all day. Maybe it was just Eric's fresh blood in me, but I longed for him. When he emerged from his day room an hour after sunset, smelling of sandalwood and wearing a soft sweater with jeans, I nearly hurled myself at him.

He caught me up in his arms, and kissed me like I was a delicious dish to savored. I loved how he responded to my touches, and I could feel my body melt against his. My pulse quickened.

With some effort, Eric ended our kiss, and put his hands on either side of my head.

"We have to stop, Sookie… There are things to discuss, now." I knew he didn't want to stop; his whole face telegraphed regret. But he took one of my hands and led me from the kitchen to his office.

Immediately, I saw his desk, and recalled lying across it. My knees went a little weak at that, and I sank quickly into a chair opposite the big table. Eric sat in his desk chair and checked his phone for a moment. I suddenly thought of Bobby, who'd probably found my torn panties in the trashcan here, and felt a stab of embarrassment. Eric glanced at me then. Blood bond.

"Sookie," he said, a little sharply. "There has been some… resolution… regarding Russell's demise." I felt some turmoil inside him.

"I have to go to New Orleans, to Sophie-Anne's court, for some meetings."

"What's going on? Are you in trouble?"

"It should be fine. I reconciled with her after Russell's death." He had previously mentioned making amends with the queen. And he still didn't seem happy about it.

"So you… renounced your… fealty? And then pledged to her again?"

He actually gave me a little smile at that, amused by a human speaking these vampire terms.

"Yes… long story, Sookie." I knew I'd probably never hear the details. "I'll be gone for a couple days, maybe a little longer."

"Are you sure you'll be safe, at court?" It seemed like a foreign place full of unknown vampires, a vast nest, and I was worried for him. Lord knows that Russell's mansion had been a nightmare.

"I will be bored, at court," Eric said dryly. A fate worse than peril, to him.

"Can't I go with you?" I interrupted.

"No. No, darling. You need to stay here. I don't want you anywhere near the queen. And my truce with Russell's Weres still isn't final."

"You're working on a truce?" I was sort of proud of Eric; I'd expected him to just kill them all.

"I said that I'd protect you," he said, lighter, and he gave me a little wink.

"And the queen? She's a danger to me?" I thought of poor, sad Hadley.

"Let's not tempt her. She knows of you, and has a curiosity to… taste you… " He phrased his last words delicately, and I understood the unspoken meaning. I worried; how many vampire kings and queens were going to come after me?

"It's not so bad, Sookie. The queen wants to re-negotiate the financial terms of my fealty… she'll want a bigger cut of Fangtasia. And some other matters. But she also needs my testimony that her marriage to Russell was valid, or she could lose her Mississippi inheritance." He smiled, and I relaxed a little. "She's _quite_ the grieving widow," he added, sarcastically.

"When do you have to leave?"

"By midnight. We have a few hours."

I hadn't imagined it would be so soon, and I looked at him with my mouth open in surprise.

"I just got word of this myself," Eric said ruefully, and then stood and came over to me, gently pulling me up. His arms wrapped around me.

"I'll be back soon."

"Will you miss me?" I whispered.

"Oh, yes... I'll show you how much," he answered, with a little smile. And we went upstairs, where he did just that.

We lay tangled in sheets, surrounded by pillows. Eric lazily played with my tousled hair, and one of my hands brushed his chest softly, again and again. I couldn't stop touching him.

"Bobby will give you a cell phone, tomorrow," Eric said. "Call me in New Orleans if you need me. He'll give you my number, and Pam's."

"Pam's going with you?"

"No," he said. "I need her here, with you. Fangtasia re-opens tomorrow, and Chow can run it."

"I don't need a babysitter," I said.

"You and Pam will be thick as thieves," he murmured.

"What about Bobby? Don't you need a day guy in New Orleans?"

"I've had one there for years," Eric said mildly. "He just hasn't had much work to do. His name is Stewart. Bobby has his phone number too."

I was seeing a glimpse into a side of Eric's life that I hadn't known existed. "You have a house in New Orleans?"

He nodded. Well, duh, any vampire who could afford it probably had a place in New Orleans.

"When you come back, will you take me to Bon Temps?" I asked.

"You like it there," he said.

"It's my home, Eric. I like it here too, but I live there."

Eric was quiet for a long moment. "If it's safe, I will take you there. We'll figure something out." Some way to be together.

"We will," I said, and kissed him.

I fell asleep on Eric's chest, and his cell phone woke me. It was ringing in a pocket of his jeans on the floor. He gently shifted me off of him, and leaned out of bed to retrieve it.

"Yes," he said quietly.

I thought I heard Bobby's gruff voice on the other end, and I sighed.

Eric hung up after a moment and tossed the phone onto the bed. "Sookie, I have to go soon. C'mon, let's get cleaned up." He squeezed my ass, and I slowly sat up.

In the big shower with the jets, we took our time getting clean, but finally emerged and got dressed. Downstairs, a couple of suitcases sat by the front door, and I could see Bobby's SUV parked out front.

Hurrying, Bobby came into the foyer with one bag over his shoulder. He nodded to us, and scooped up the bags on the floor. He headed out to load the car.

"Be good," Eric said to me.

"You too," I answered.

"I'll try…" he said dubiously, but he was smiling a little. He gave me a lingering kiss, and whispered, "We'll speak soon."

I nodded and kissed him one more time, then watched him go.

I sat on the stairs for a long while afterwards, thoughts of Eric tumbling around my brain. I debated whether the blood we'd shared was the thing that really held us together. Or maybe it was the amazing sex? Neither of those options seemed to adequately account for what I felt for him.

Wearily, I went back upstairs and found a nightgown. Pam had brought me several, and none were like my cozy ones at home. These were filmy lure-your-lover-to-bed gowns. But I put one on and climbed into bed, pulling the covers over me. I could smell a hint of him on the sheets, sandalwood and vampire. I breathed deeply, willing myself to relax.

Just as sleep was about to pull me under, I heard the bedroom door open. Soft light came into the room from the hall, and I could see Pam in the doorway.

"Are you asleep?" she asked conversationally, not the kind of hushed voice a normal person might use.

"I was," I mumbled. Go away, Pam, I thought grumpily.

She came right in and climbed onto the bed, then sat with crossed legs near the bed's foot.

"What can I do for you, Pam?" I finally asked, after a minute of ignoring her hadn't had any effect.

"Eric doesn't want you to be alone," she said, dryly.

"I don't think he meant for you to literally watch me sleep," I said. I tried to say that in a kind way. She probably had other things she'd rather be doing, somewhere else.

"Too creepy?"

"Well, yes." I said.

"You're awake now."

I sat up a little. "Pam, is all of this… protection… really necessary? Is the queen really a threat?"

"Maybe. She has spies. She's unpredictable, and she knows about you. Eric is... cautious."

"Does she know that Eric saw daylight?" I was trying to piece a few things together.

Pam hesitated, but finally answered, "I don't think so… She knows that Eric killed Russell, but not_ how_ he did it. If she found out, it would be very, very bad... for you."

On that comforting note, Pam stood. "Well, if you don't need me here, I'll be downstairs. Eric hid my credit cards, and I think they're in his office… somewhere."

It was a long while before I could fall asleep.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

After a painful day of worrying about Eric and missing him, I went to bed at midnight, miserable. He hadn't called me or Bobby, or Pam. They hadn't seemed concerned about that, which I tried (unsuccessfully) to take as a positive sign. I put the little sparkly red phone he'd given me on the nightstand. At about two-thirty, it rang merrily and I awoke from a bad dream about Bill sneaking up and stabbing me. The ringtone was "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life," which made me smile sleepily. It was kind of funny.

"Hi," I said, still smiling

"It is me," Eric said.

"How are you?"

"I miss you already," he sighed. "It's awful here. As I expected."

"I miss you too," I murmured, and felt so much better just hearing his voice. "Where are you?"

"At the queen's estate. She suspended the Yahtzee match for a dinner break. I'm lurking in a cabana, by the outdoor pool."

"Yahtzee?" I was mystified.

"A dice game surely designed for the fifth ring of Hell. The queen has a passion for it. It's a game of luck, which is the only kind she has a chance of winning." He paused. "Are you in bed?"

"Mm-hmm. All by myself…" Though I was still waking up, I saw where this was headed.

"Are you naked, Sookie?" His voice had gone lower, but with a smile in it. I rolled onto my back.

"Nightgown," I sighed.

"Will you do something for me?"

"Maybe…" I was already feeling warm.

"Get rid of the gown, Sookie… "

After a moment he murmured, "Close your eyes, darling…"

Later, I dropped the phone off of the bed when I came, but I'm sure he still heard my breathy gasps. His low voice and absolutely filthy ideas had had me almost writhing against a phantom Eric, and my hand had taken me over the edge.

"You have a dirty mind, Eric," I said happily, still a little breathless when I found the phone.

"I do," he said, unrepentant.

"Would you like me to do… anything else… for you?" I wasn't what state he was in, so to speak.

I heard a small chuckle. "Sookie, I was perfectly satisfied… way back when I was describing your delightful ass."

I blushed, and sighed. "You know… we're not really going to do that, Eric."

"It's much better in person, trust me," he said smoothly. "Sookie, I need to go… the dice beckon."

"Eric…"

"Mmm?"

"Get back here soon."

My phone rang again the following night, around midnight. Pam and I were reading magazines; Pam had brought a heavy stack of them.

"Where are you?" His tone didn't suggest casual chitchat, let alone a repeat of last night's call.

"Your house… the library. Where are you?"

"Is Pam there?"

"She's right here." Pam looked up from her Vogue.

"Put it on speakerphone," Eric said, and I took a few moments to figure out how to do that. Pam left her chair to sit next to me on the sofa.

"Okay," I said, and held the phone between Pam and me.

"Sookie, the queen continues to ask about you… she's very intrigued by your telepathy and your blood. Tonight she told me to bring you here." His voice sounded tight.

"Can you say no?" I asked. Pam gave me a look like I was crazy.

"I can't refuse an order from her. But Sookie, you're under no obligation to her. You _can_ say no."

So. Just as Eric had insisted on borrowing me from Bill to use my "gift", someone higher up on Eric's food chain was demanding the same loan from him. I thought for a moment. "If I say no, and you tell her you tried hard to convince me, but couldn't… would you be okay then?" I looked at Pam, trying to gauge her opinion. But her face was neutral.

"I'm not sure," he said. I sensed that the real answer was _probably not_. He continued, "I've told her that you're an employee, and I've said nothing of any… affection. If you decline her request, she would certainly wonder why I couldn't control my employee better…"

"You could withhold your testimony… she needs that, right?"

Eric was silent for several moments, but finally answered, "That _is_ the trump card… But if I play it, then new problems arise."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"It would look very wrong if I seemed to take your side over hers. Since you're human," he said. "If she knew that you matter to me, and shared my bed, and blood, she'd be able to use you against me for leverage."

Vampire politics, I thought, annoyed. But Eric's skill at it had helped him survive for centuries. Pam looked pissed off, and said something to Eric, harshly, in another language. He answered her in the same tongue, and his anger was obvious. She scowled at the phone.

"How much danger would I be in?" I knew I sounded scared, but I'd had my fill of injury and hospitals. And Eric and Pam seemed very, very wary of the queen, so it wasn't crazy for me to be fearful.

"There'd be no point in killing you. She couldn't use you, then," Pam said. This conversation was reminding me again of the coldness of vampire logic, and the world that Eric really lived in most of the time.

Eric added, "But you should know… there would be limits to how much protection I can give you here, at her court. I wish I could give you clearer answers, but the queen is a fucking loon."

"What does she know about my blood?" Offering my telepathic services would be potentially acceptable if it got us out of her court unscathed, but becoming her hostage because of my blood would be a different equation.

"Part Fairy," Eric sighed. "Rumored to be delicious."

"She'd want to bite me?"

"Who wouldn't?" Pam asked.

"I'll withhold my testimony, if she tries to do that, Sookie," Eric said. If I went to New Orleans, we'd have to hope it didn't come to that. I didn't want to meet the queen, or work for her. Eric didn't want me to go either, but his position and possibly his safety were at risk if I didn't. I had a chance to protect him.

"If she really wants me to read someone's mind, I'll do it," I said. "If it seems like a reasonable thing. But I don't want her biting me."

"Agreed," Eric said. "Pam, you and Sookie drive here at sunset tomorrow. Dress up, but nothing too… revealing... for Sookie. Understood?"

"Yes, master," Pam said, with a little fond sarcasm.

"Thank you, Pam."

"Eric , _where_ are my credit cards?"

"See you tomorrow," Eric said, and he was gone.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Pam's car turned out to be the mint-condition burgundy 1965 Mustang convertible that I'd seen in the Fangtasia parking lot a couple of times. She drove well above the speed limit all the way to the outskirts of New Orleans, when we were slowed by traffic from a minor accident. Eventually she navigated the car to the edge of the French Quarter, and pulled up to a guard station at the end of a long gated driveway.

We were waved through, and a valet met us under a porte-cochère. "Scratch it, and you die," she said to him as she handed over the keys. A vampire guard in a black suit greeted us, and spoke into a little microphone at his cuff.

He escorted Pam and me through the entry foyer and into a long hall. Sophie-Anne's mansion, or palace, was a massive confection of woodwork, crystal and marble, a grand estate. Far ahead of us, from around the corner, Eric appeared, walking fast. As he headed towards us, he said something in French to the guard, who left quickly. Eric wore a tuxedo, looking very dapper, the black tie undone around his neck.

I felt Eric's happiness, and my own sense of comfort, just from being near each other. But he was tense, too, and only gave me a small smile and a brush of his thumb across my hand as a greeting. He turned to Pam. "Pam," he said evenly, and she bowed her head briefly.

"We're going to make this as short as possible," Eric said quietly, "and then you take Sookie straight to St. Claude." He gestured to his tie and Pam stepped closer to him and tied it effortlessly. I wouldn't have known where to start with it. "You both look lovely, by the way," he added, as Pam gave his tie one last adjustment.

"What's her mood?" Pam asked, in a low voice.

"Better than usual, actually… it's her birthday. We should go, since we're already late."

Pam's eyes opened wide. "We didn't bring any presents –"

Eric tugged on one of his cuffs and said, "No problem. Stewart took care of it for us."

"What did we get her?"

"Hey guys," I said, "can we talk about what I'm supposed to say?"

Eric leaned down a bit towards me, so his eyes were almost level with mine. "You'll be fine, Sookie. Just keep calm, stay polite. Remember that she thinks you're just an employee of mine, nothing more. If she wants your telepathic services and you're willing, then look to me for permission, and I'll say yes. Okay?"

I nodded, and felt my nerves kick up into high gear when Eric said, "Let's go, then."

The queen turned out to be a tiny, delicate-looking thing, and clearly vampire. Her eyes were wild, like she anticipated either exciting danger or a hilarious joke. She was dressed elegantly, though her formal dress (black, to suggest mourning, I guessed) seemed like it was in style many decades ago. She sat in an oversized, ornate chair on a little platform.

"Sookie Stackhouse. Good of you to visit us." Her voice was light, girlish. She was smiling, but her fangs were showing, which might have been an unwelcome compliment.

"I heard that you wanted to meet me," I said, trying to keep the shakiness out of my voice. "And here I am."

I was standing about ten feet in front of her, which was closer than I was comfortable with. Eric sat down in a chair to her left. A male vampire with long, wavy black hair was already seated on her right side. He wore an ornate military costume from another era, with shining brass buttons all over. His tall leather riding boots gleamed.

Two guards stood in front of this trio, to the sides – a hulking bald man who was vampire, and a strong-looking human woman with short, spiky blonde hair. A dozen beautiful vampires stood around the room; maybe these were her closest associates. Pam stood just behind me, as my back-up, I hoped.

The queen looked me over. "I thought you might look like my Hadley, but I see very little resemblance, unfortunately. Except for the hair, perhaps…" She glanced at General Big Boots and he gave her a sympathetic smile.

I felt off-track already. But a small new thought started to bloom in my head.

"What can I do for you, your majesty?" Very polite.

"My sources say that you're a telepath," the queen said. "That's a neat trick." She suddenly closed her eyes and her face became absolutely serene. "Read my mind."

"I can't read vampire minds," I said quickly, "Only human." She opened her eyes, the serenity gone. She looked disappointed, annoyed.

"Well, that's a shame. It must get very dull, reading human minds."

"_Very_ dull," I agreed, nodding.

"Is it true that you're part Fairy?"

Every vampire in the room suddenly seemed more alert, which was scary. Eric's eyes flashed at me, and I felt his worry.

"Yes, but just a very small part," I said, like it was no big thing.

She appraised me. "I'll bet you're delicious," she mused. "Sweet enough to keep Compton hooked..." She turned suddenly to Eric. "Have you tasted her yet, Eric? What's she like? Better than Hadley?"

I felt a little ill that Eric had apparently fed on Hadley, but there must be some explanation. I certainly wouldn't be asking for one right now, though.

"The taste isn't unusual," Eric said coldly, and shrugged. But the queen kept her eyes on him for an uncomfortably long moment.

"Do you miss Hadley very much?" I asked, empathetically. I was desperate to change the subject to something other than my blood. Suddenly I had the queen's full attention, and Eric frowned. I realized then that he hadn't known of Hadley's vanishing act. But it didn't surprise me - once she'd delivered his message to me, why would he care about her? And I hadn't mentioned anything about Hadley to him because I didn't want anyone, even Eric, to know about Hadley's son.

"She left without even saying goodbye," the queen pouted. "Do you know where she is?"

I wasn't about to hand over Hadley to the queen, and I only had a general idea of Hadley's location anyway. But I knew how to reach her, and maybe…

"Would you like to talk with her?" I asked.

She raised her delicate eyebrows. "Very much so, Miss Stackhouse."

"If I arrange for a phone call with Hadley, will you do something for me?" I saw a tiny smile creep across Eric's mouth before he could shift back into neutral.

"What did you have in mind?"

"Will you give me your promise of protection? I'm getting pretty tired of being… harmed."

"Will Hadley come back to me?" She was smiling, but I heard her wistful hope.

"I can't say, your majesty. That's up to you and her to figure out. But I can arrange for her to contact you." Hadley owed me that, at least.

The queen leaned back in her chair… throne, whatever. She thought for a moment. "Set up the call, Miss Stackhouse. And you will be safe in Louisiana."

"Thank you, your majesty," I said, and tried out a little curtsy/head-bob move.

The queen turned to Big Boots. "I have some gifts to open, yes?"

"Certainly. And your guests are in the dining room," he answered. I felt Pam's hand on my arm, gently pulling me toward the exit. I glanced at Eric and he gave me a very slight nod, then stood as the queen rose from her chair.

When we were clear of the reception hall, Pam headed quickly for the porte-cochère and I hurried to keep up with her. In the distance, I heard music starting up, a big band playing music from the 1930's. These were Gran's kind of tunes.

Pam sent the valet running to bring her car. Outside, the air smelled clean and fresh, and I didn't mind the nighttime chill as we waited. Eric appeared at the same time as Pam's car did. Eric nodded to Pam and she got into the driver's seat without a word.

Eric kept a respectable distance from me, his hands in his pockets. He looked almost relaxed, and I caught his emotions… pride, relief, and more typical: lust. He tilted his head at me, but met my eyes. "Well done, Sookie. You surprised even me." His voice was full of amused admiration.

"I'll be okay now, I think. Safe, right? And you're okay?" Adrenaline was running through me, a delayed effect from the meeting with the queen. Eric nodded and gave me a smoldering look. I wanted to throw myself at him.

"You'd better go, Sookie, before I make an inappropriate advance on an employee."

The valet was still standing there, and he opened my car door as I neared it. I slid in next to Pam and looked back at Eric, but he was already gone.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

It was only a short drive to Eric's New Orleans place, on St. Claude Avenue. It was a classic old house, not large, but furnished elegantly with French antiques and heavy chandeliers. Pam offered to make me a drink, but I declined as gracefully as I could. The evening had sapped my energy, and I was relieved when Pam pointed me to a guest room upstairs. I showered and climbed into the big wrought iron bed.

Much later, Eric woke me with his lips on my neck. "Sookie," he whispered. He was kneeling on the bed, straddling me. I raised my arms up to reach around his neck and pull him closer. He still wore his dress shirt and black pants, but he'd discarded the rest of his ensemble. He stretched out above me on top of the covers and rested on his forearms. His mouth was just a few inches from mine.

"Kiss me…" I said sleepily, and he did so with great care before moving his mouth to my neck, where he sucked gently without biting. My hips started to respond to him, and Eric shifted slightly to turn his attentions to my breasts.

"So proud of you, Sookie," he said between kisses. He was unusually languorous.

"When does the sun rise?" I asked, then gasped as his fangs circled my nipple.

"Soon… but we have time." He pulled the bed linens back, and his eyes swept down my body. One of his hands moved lower, and he made a small noise when he felt how ready I was. I pulled him closer so I could kiss him, and two of his fingers slid into me.

"You _are_ sweet," he mused, "even if you say you're not."

I smiled. "You do love me, Eric," I whispered, "even if you won't say it." He gave me a short breath of a laugh, amused.

My hands moved to his shirt, fumbling with the buttons.

"No… no, we'll get to that later. Just come for me, Sookie. Just that, for now…"

With Eric watching me, and his talented fingers between my legs, it wasn't long before I collapsed with a cry, gasping. He'd held me right at the edge for a time, just until the moment that I couldn't stand wanting it any longer, and then he'd pushed me off.

I opened my eyes and stretched lazily. My hand caressed his hips and moved to stroke him. Those pants couldn't be comfortable. He lay back and let me undress him.

I felt so tied to him; he was in me, thrusting hard, and his pleasure was in my head, rolling in like waves on a shore and mixing with mine. It seemed like the most natural thing - the act that would complete us -to bite him hard and drink. He growled loudly when I pierced the skin of his neck with my teeth, and I nearly stopped out of fear that I'd hurt him. Instantly his hand was holding my head against his neck. "Keep going," he said roughly, and I sucked hard. He slammed into me and soon went over the edge with a primal cry.

He rolled over and closed his eyes for a few moments, then turned and looked at me. His eyes seemed to glitter. "You look too fucking beautiful like that," he said, still sounding ragged. I gazed at him. "Lick your lips," he said then, and I did, finding his blood there. With his thumb, he wiped a drop off of my chin.

"I felt like I needed you, that way," I said, trying to explain to both myself and Eric.

He raised himself on an elbow and gave a low, shaky laugh. His neck had already healed.

"You're marvelous," he murmured, "and more bloodthirsty than I'd thought." This sounded like a high compliment.

"Did I take too much?"

"No, darling… just enough." He paused and searched my face, before giving me a wry smile. "Sookie, you might be half-vampire already," he teased. I gave him a look, but felt too contented to hold onto any real anger.

"You still want that?" Of course he did.

"Of course I do… someday… but I want _you_ to want it. I told you I didn't want to force you." His hand rested on my stomach, and I put my hand atop his. Just two lovers in bed, discussing being undead forever.

"You're just gonna try and wear me down until I say yes, aren't you?" I was smirking a little.

"That _is_ my dark plan," he smiled back, "and only someone who was meant to be vampire could have deduced it." I rolled my eyes at him, and he kissed my shoulder.

His grin faded into an expression of tenderness. "Sookie, are you afraid of it? Tell me."

"Any sane person would be afraid of being a vampire, Eric," I said. "Sleeping in dirt, hurting people, hungry for blood… not breathing…."

Eric suppressed a smile when I said "hungry for blood," and nodded. "What else?" he asked softly.

I thought for a moment. "Watching everyone you know die."

"How old are you? Twenty-five? Sookie, you're so young… and you've already seen people you know – and love – die. And you'll see a lot more of that as you get older. It's just life… humans die. Being vampire does not have much to do with it." I thought of my parents, and Gran.

After a while Eric asked, "What else?"

"Does it hurt? Did it hurt when Godric turned you?" I felt a quick hint of sharp physical pain through our bond, before he shut it off.

"Did it hurt when I took your blood at Fangtasia?" he asked softly.

"Only a little, at first…"

He nodded. "It would be like that, for you. You'd lose consciousness until you woke two or three days later. I wouldn't let it go wrong."

"Wouldn't it change what we have?" I laced my fingers through his. "I mean, if I wasn't human, wouldn't it change… who I am?"

It was a long time before he answered. "You'd still be you, Sookie," he finally said, quietly. "Otherwise, I'd never want this for you. And you'd still be my dearest."

"So Pam was… how she is now… as a human, too?" It was hard to believe.

He chuckled. "You mean, was she cold… ruthless?" I nodded.

"Oh yes, she had that in her. She was also mischievous, and rebellious. Smart. Passionate. She is still all of those things." The affection in his voice made me smile. "Of course, she probably picked up some… qualities… from me."

Pam was so like him sometimes. "Why did you turn her?"

"I had been searching for a long time… for the right child. I am _very_ picky, Sookie," he winked at me. "And when I found Pam, I knew it was her. I wanted her, and she wasn't frightened of me…"

"You had sex with her…?" They must have, but I didn't sense any attraction like that between them now.

He nodded. "Before I turned her, and then for many decades afterward."

"Why did you break up?"

Eric looked bemused at my human phrase to describe his past relationship with his progeny. "Some vampires do stay together for centuries, especially a maker and child, but I knew that Pam wanted more… independence. She was strong, ready to leave, and more interested in women than men. But she is still at my side; she's the only vampire I trust, now that Godric's gone."

I thought of Eric and Godric on the roof, and Eric's tears, his heartbreak. It was the first moment that I'd known he had a heart, and could love someone other than himself.

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Have I worn you down yet?"

"Not by a long shot, Eric," I said. "I still like my sunbathing too much."

"With your exotic blood, Sookie, you just might be the first vampire with a tan. Who knows?" He leaned over me and kissed my lips. I opened my mouth under his and kissed him back.

"Who knows," I sighed, and felt him smile.

END

_That's it! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! _

**A/N**, 9/20/10: This story is the first one that I posted online, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but I really appreciate everyone who signed up for alerts/favorites, and HUGE thanks to those who wrote reviews – they make me smile like an idiot. It was so much fun writing this story, and then the encouraging response has been such a great surprise. I've had some requests for a sequel, and I'm kicking around a few ideas… so I hope to post something new within the next couple months. Feedback is still very welcome, and stay tuned!


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